Chapter 171 - 170: Eliminating Hidden Dangers
An hour later, it was the same coffee shop, at the same small table.
However, the occupant had changed from Yang Shen to Cao Wei.
Several disciples of the Yang Family Army arrived one after another, eventually occupying a corner of the cafe.
It had only been a few days since the college entrance exams, so it was common for young people to be gathering everywhere. No one paid them much mind.
The massive Tian Zihan pushed the door open and entered. With his arrival, all eight disciples were present.
Cao Wei explained Master Yang’s idea to the group and filled them in on some details about Cangwu Garden.
Yuan Rui, the most meticulous thinker of the group and the veritable brain trust of the Yang Family Army, said after a moment of contemplation:
"When the master has a task, the disciples perform the labor. As it happens, I’ve been worried lately... After the exams, Master refused our appreciation banquet, so we haven’t had a chance to show him our filial piety... This is an opportunity."
"I know your families are all quite powerful, but this is still a large sum. We must think before we act."
Tian Zihan nodded in deep agreement. "Senior Brother is right!"
The hot-tempered Wei Xiaoli said bluntly, "This President Wang, does he have any backing? Should we go intimidate and bribe him a little?"
Wang Yang said, "My family is in logistics. We’ve got a lot of truck drivers working for us. How about they find his blind spot and ’live a little harder’?"
Another person immediately said, "My family runs a KTV business. How about we get a few dozen hostesses to block their door and ruin their reputation?"
"My family’s money comes from playing the stock market, so I don’t have anyone I can use. But I have a distant relative who’s a gambling degenerate, just got out of the slammer. He’d do anything for money. Should we have him die on that boss’s doorstep?"
"Hey! Why make it so complicated? There are eight of us at the Marrow Refining stage. As long as we avoid the cameras, can’t we do whatever we want?"
Yuan Rui sighed internally. ’My junior brothers are truly a talented bunch... so deferential, kind, and obedient.’
’Their hearts are filled with pure, good intentions for their benevolent master.’
But he still shook his head, raising a hand to stop his junior brothers’ terrible ideas. "No, the risk is too great. It could easily ruin our master’s plans."
He wasn’t raising his hand because he thought their ideas were illegal.
He was worried about implicating their benevolent master!
Yuan Rui said, "Alright, let’s divide the labor. Some of you will gather more information. ’Know the enemy and know yourself, and you can fight a hundred battles without defeat.’ Find out who the other ’potential buyers’ are."
"The rest of you, go do some on-site investigation. Get a clear idea of Cangwu Garden’s actual value so we have room to negotiate the price."
"Everyone, split up and act! Let’s show our devotion to Master Yang!"
Although their families were all quite powerful, a sum of 30 million, or even 10 million, was beyond what they could raise to help their master. Their families would never agree.
At most, they could scrape together a few million.
So they had to use their heads.
They had to help Master Yang by knocking the price down!
——————
After parting ways with Cao Wei, Yang Shen returned home.
With no more classes to teach, he had more time to guide the four little ones in their Cultivation.
In a little while, the four of them would be heading to Jianghuai City to take the independent entrance exams for several top junior high schools. Lei Yi would be taking one for elementary school as well.
The original plan was to find a house near Jiangti and naturally choose schools in the same area, but it seemed a slight adjustment might be necessary now.
He had to factor in the location of Cangwu Garden.
Cangwu Garden and Jiangti were both in the Black Tortoise District, but they were about 20 kilometers apart as the crow flies. It would be better for him to suffer through a longer commute so things would be more convenient for the four little ones.
’Cangwu Garden... 30 million...’
Yang Shen, who originally hadn’t been too fixated on the "Champion Scholar" title, couldn’t help but feel a little more expectant now.
’If I get it, I’ll have a chance to make a proper plan.’
’If I don’t... the shortfall will be huge.’
’Huh...?’
’If the other two Top Scholar Contenders were to... *croak*... by accident, I wonder if a dead person can still be the Champion Scholar... The title would probably pass down to the next in line, right?’
’No, no, no... That’s too evil. I was almost possessed by Teacher Huo Jun!’
’Get out of my body!!’
The main thing was... he could actually do it.
Just as he was thinking this, a tall, agile figure leaped up onto the familiar Celestial Platform and slowly walked over to Yang Shen without a word.
The young woman wore a large, hooded sweatshirt that hid her beautiful long hair and most of her face. Inside her hood, two Sun Worms rested, one on each side, like hair ornaments.
’They’re actually kinda cute.’
The newcomer was none other than Long Jiu, Yang Shen’s life-sized figurine.
Long Jiu didn’t speak. She seemed to have no desire for expression whatsoever. Yang Shen gave a command, and she executed it to the letter. That was all.
Ever since acquiring his "life-sized figurine," Yang Shen had been stashing her in various small inns, moving her to a new place every three days.
But ultimately, he couldn’t keep Long Jiu with him 24/7. So, after continuously injecting her with Spiritual Power, he had her hide in a semi-autonomous state.
Without his orders, she couldn’t leave a 200-meter radius around the inn. Otherwise, she was to do whatever was necessary to meet her own living needs.
Long Jiu might seem like an NPC, but she wasn’t a pure puppet who needed her master to control her every move, even for basic self-care.
She possessed enough common sense about life to keep herself alive without detailed instructions.
She ate breakfast, bathed, and used the toilet on her own, but that was merely surviving.
Other than that, she just sat idly in the small inn.
During this time, Yang Shen’s assessment of Long Jiu had changed again.
This girl might not have been born without a consciousness of her own; rather, it had been completely suppressed.
Yang Shen had her remove her hood. He then raised his hand, pinched the back of Long Jiu’s pale neck, and slowly cast the Bee Control Technique, injecting tens of times more Spiritual Power than he used for the Sun Worms.
This method of washing with Spiritual Power could forge a closer bond between a Cultivator and their Spirit Insects, allowing them to be controlled as easily as one’s own limbs, with exquisite precision and a telepathic connection.
It would also make it much more difficult for other Cultivators to influence them.
If one mastered a Beast Taming legacy, they could also feed them with Essence Blood. Then, even if captured by a Cultivator of a much higher level, their control couldn’t be easily usurped.
Of course, Yang Shen didn’t know how to do that.
If this method were used on a normal human, it wouldn’t be able to change their will; they could break free with a little thought.
This was, after all, only the Bee Control Technique, not the Soul Manipulation Technique.
What ultimately caused Long Jiu’s abnormality was the Alien Source in her brain, not the Bee Control Technique.
He wasn’t brainwashing her, but rather changing the owner of her existing "operating system."
Yang Shen had been doing this for a long time, and the work was now basically complete.
If he were to again encounter someone from the Rebel Species who could control Long Jiu, they would no longer be able to seize control from him.
A Middle Stage of Innate "life-sized figurine" was now securely in his possession.
Yang Shen recalled the Qilin List he had read before. The last place on the list was an Early-stage True Gang cultivator... who was 24 years old.
Of course, not every Late-stage Innate cultivator was the same. Those who made the list were naturally the strongest handful within their realm. But Long Jiu was only about 17 or 18... and had just entered the Middle Stage of Innate.
’Honestly, it won’t be long before she’s qualified to be on the Qilin List, becoming a chosen daughter of heaven under the watchful eyes of all Yanhua.’
Unfortunately, she could hardly walk in the light of day.
The Rebel Species couldn’t find her, but they would definitely recognize her stunningly beautiful face. Unless the Rebel Species was completely wiped out one day, or the Yang Family became powerful enough to ignore their threat, Long Jiu could never step into the spotlight.
Therefore, Yang Shen’s intended future role for Long Jiu was... a Shadow Guard of the Yang Family.
A 17-year-old Middle Stage of Innate, a peerless genius "Shadow Guard," could be used to handle certain... inconvenient matters.
This was also why, just a moment ago, Yang Shen felt that making the Top Scholar Contenders suffer from "acute kinetic energy allergies" was actually achievable.
One of those two was at Late-stage Marrow Refining, and the other had just entered the Innate stage. Unless they had as many cheats as he did, they stood no chance against Long Jiu.
This was a Middle Stage of Innate expert who was proficient in assassination and deadly combat.
As a girl with little to no independent consciousness, Long Jiu was completely unguarded around Yang Shen. One could even say she was his to do with as he pleased.
To be honest, facing a stunningly beautiful young woman with whom one could do anything was a great test of self-control.
Fortunately, Yang Shen’s self-control could withstand the test.
He wasn’t trying to show off his restraint. At an age where one’s vitality and passions ran high, it wasn’t a question of ’want to or not,’ but ’can or cannot.’
’Anyone who *can*, *wants* to!’
But for Yang Shen, he truly could not.
Because Long Jiu still had an unresolved hidden danger.
Yang Shen still couldn’t figure out the "operating system" in her mind. He was just continuously "dyeing" this system, but he didn’t understand its fundamental nature.
’What if it’s contagious through bodily fluids?’
"Soon... Once the ’ancestral home’ is settled and the family prospers, Long Jiu won’t have to be cooped up in this rental room anymore."
And... the threat of the Rebel Species needed to be eliminated as thoroughly as possible.
Yang Shen performed one last bit of Magic for the Celestial Platform Spirit Field, then raised a single hand as a black helmet covered his face.
Then he raised his hand again, creating a smaller, more exquisite mask for Long Jiu.
The mask covered Long Jiu’s pretty face, revealing only a pair of empty eyes. Combined with her large hood, she looked exceptionally eerie.
’Even though their builds and genders are completely different... this style.’
’It’s a lot like Black Rope...’
In order to let Long Jiu become useful as soon as possible...
"Let’s go looking for them."
Yang Shen beckoned, and two black-clad figures with concealed identities leaped down from the Celestial Platform.
It had been three days since the college entrance exams ended.
’It’s been a while since I’ve killed anyone.’